Flexi-time Working Arrangements | Contents | Page | |------------------------------------------------------------------------|------| | 1. Introduction | 2 | | 2. Eligibility | 3 | | 3. Responsibility for the operation of flexi-time | 3 | | 4. Operation of the Scheme | 4 | | - Standard Hours | | | - Accounting Period | | | 5. Additional hours/overtime working | 4 | | 6. Medical appointments, special Leave and training | 5 | | 7. Other conditions | 5 | | - Services excluded from flexi-time working | | | - Agreeing flexi-time arrangements | | | - Flexi-time recording | | | - Staff leaving the Council | | | 8. Monitoring | 6 | | 9. Advice | 6 | | Appendix 1: Flexi Hours Record Sheet | 7 |

1. Introduction

The Council recognises the value of providing more flexible working arrangements, with the benefits that these bring to the Organisation and has adopted a flexi-time scheme.

Flexi-time should benefit employees and the Council. It can help employees in managing their work life balance and gives them more freedom to arrange their working hours to suit their personal circumstances whilst allowing the Council greater flexibility in the way it delivers services and manages workloads, as well as deals with urgent matters.

This Policy applies to all employees directly employed by the Council and is recommended to schools as best practice.

2. Eligibility

The introduction and operation of flexi-time is at the discretion of management and will be available to employees up to and including PO6 only.

There are some services where for practical reasons e.g. the operating hours or the provision of services to the public, employees cannot work flexi-time. Departments will decide which services are excluded from flexi-time or where the level of flexibility will need to be restricted according to the needs of the service, following consultation with employees at the departmental consultative committee and after carrying out an impact assessment; this will be reviewed annually.

Note: The statutory right of employees with 26 weeks continuous service to apply for flexible working is not affected i.e. for employees who are:

i) parents of children aged under 17 or of a disabled child aged under 18; or ii) a carer or expects to care for adult who is a dependant \*

- See definition of “carer” on Intranet at: http://lbbd/search/c.htm

3. Responsibility for the operation of flexitime

The success of the Scheme is dependent on all employees accepting responsibility to ensure that the work of the Council and the provision of services to the public do not suffer.

Managers are responsible for the successful operation of flexi-time arrangements i.e. managing employee attendance and the application of the Scheme. Managers must ensure that offices and workplaces are covered at all times during the Council’s standard hours.

There may be exceptional circumstances e.g. employee shortages where the needs of the service must take priority and it may be necessary to restrict or withdraw flexi-time working, having first considered other alternatives with employees. In these cases, the situation will be kept under review with employees.

Employees who fail to follow the flexi-time arrangements and/or to keep accurate up to date record sheets will have the facility withdrawn and may be subject to disciplinary action. 4. Operation of the Scheme

Standard Hours

The Council’s standard working day is 8 hours, (with a 1 hour unpaid lunch break), to be worked between 8am to 6pm. The core office opening hours are: 8:45am - 4:45pm and services must be provided to the community within these hours.

For employees working flexi-time, the working day is divided into 3 parts:

- “Core time”, fixed periods when all employees must be at work.
- Lunch break 1 hour (minimum 30 minutes) to be taken between 11.30am - 2:30pm, (or up to 2 hours with the manager’s approval).
- Flexible periods when the individual has some discretion in start/finishing times.

The standard band for flexible working hours is between 8am and 6pm, as detailed:

| Flexible Time | Core Time | Flexible Time | Core Time | Flexible Time | |---------------|-----------|---------------|-----------|---------------| | 8 - 10am | 10 -11.30am | 11.30am – 2.30pm | 2.30 – 3.30pm | 3.30- 6pm |

Departments may vary the standard band to ensure that services are accessible to the community; where shift arrangements are in operation, it may be possible to allow some flexibility i.e. 1-8 pm shift, flexible period from 12 noon- 9:30 pm.

Council offices are normally accessible between 7:30am & 7pm but time may only be accrued for flexi-time purposes between 8am & 6pm.

Accounting Period

The accounting period is 4 weeks. A standard working day or half-day is 7 hours or 3 hours 30 minutes respectively. Flexi-time will be recorded in blocks of 15 minutes to the nearest 15 minute interval e.g. arrival at 9:05/13 is recorded at 9:00/15am.

Flexi-days leave must be approved in advance by the manager, (via the Oracle HR self-service where employees have access to this); employees may only take 1 flexi day leave in any 4 week accounting period.

Up to 7 hours credit/debit may be carried forward into the next accounting period. Any credit in excess of 7 hours will be lost unless authorised by the manager. Any debit carried over must be made up by the end of the next four-week period.

Departments may vary the limit of credit to be carried forward at “peak” periods e.g. the end of the financial year, during “inspections” or to ensure services to the public are not disrupted. This must be agreed in advance with the Corporate Director.

5. Additional hours/overtime working

All additional/overtime working outside of the standard band for flexible working hours e.g. to attend evening/weekend meetings, must be agreed in advance with the Corporate Director, Divisional Director or Group Manager in accordance with the existing arrangements. Authorised additional/overtime working outside of the standard band for flexi-time, must be recorded separately on the Flexible Hours Record Sheet (FHRS). The additional hours worked will be credited to be taken later as Time Off In Lieu (TOIL), or paid as overtime in accordance with the normal arrangements; this is separate to the arrangements for taking flexi-time.

In exceptional circumstances, Corporate Directors may agree to overtime paid at the standard overtime rates; this only applies when taking accrued hours will affect service delivery. Employees cannot work overtime during the standard band for flexi-time.

6. Medical appointments, special leave and training

Medical appointments

Employees are expected to arrange medical and domestic appointments e.g. “check ups”, home deliveries or repairs etc in their own time. The arrangements for urgent medical, dental and optical appointments etc are detailed in the “Arrangements for Special Leave and Time-Off from Work” available on Intranet at:

http://lbbd/hr/employee-leave/employee-leave-home.htm

Pregnant employees have the right to paid time off for ante-natal care and must produce evidence of such appointments if requested; these appointments are outside of the flexi-time arrangements and time off will be credited.

Training

Absence to attend a full day training course or seminar will be credited as 7 hours or the normal working day.

Part time employees who would normally work less than 7 hours that day will be credited the additional hours worked to be taken later as TOIL or flexi-time as agreed with the manager beforehand.

7. Other conditions

Services Excluded from Flexi-time Working

Departments must keep a list of the services excluded from flexi-time working and/or working non standard band widths using the pro-forma at Appendix 1. A copy of the list should be forwarded to the Human Resources Service Centre for monitoring purposes and to be included with recruitment packs and contracts of employment.

Agreeing Flexi-time Arrangements

Managers and employees must be clear from the outset as to the arrangements for ensuring that the workplace is covered during the standard hours, as well as to deal with emergencies and for attendance at evening/weekend meetings etc.

The arrangements must ensure that service needs are met and that services to the public, (or other customers and departments), do not suffer e.g. standard start/finish times and the minimum number of staff to be on duty at any one time etc. Where employees are required to attend evening meetings etc, some flexibility should be allowed to enable them to work outside the standard band e.g. to start and finish later that day, providing the office/workplace is covered.

**Flexi-time Recording**

Employees must keep an accurate and up to date record of their starting, finishing and break times on a daily basis using the standard Flexible Hours Record Sheet (FHRS). At the end of the 4-week accounting period, the FHRS must be forwarded to the manager for approval. The standard FHRS is available on Intranet at:

http://lbbd/staffinfo/index.htm http://lbbd/hr/benefits/flexible-working.htm

The success of the Scheme is dependant on everyone following the arrangements detailed in this Policy and employees that do not will have the facilities withdrawn. Employees who abuse or undermine the integrity of the system or falsify flexible working hours records etc will be subject to disciplinary action.

**Employees Leaving the Council**

All employees on leaving the employment of the Authority will be expected to reduce their “credit/debit” to zero by their last day of service. Employees will not be paid for any credit balance but any debit must be reported to Payroll Section to make the necessary adjustments to pay.

8. **Monitoring**

The Policy will be impact assessed and reviewed annually. Departments will be responsible for impact assessing the operation of the flexi-time arrangements across their service areas.

9. **Advice**

If an employee has any queries about the scheme they should speak to their line manager in the first instance. Any unresolved issues should be referred to the Divisional Director/Corporate Director.

Any queries or disputes as to the interpretation of the procedures that cannot be resolved at departmental level, should be referred to the Head of Human Resources or his/her nominated officers for consideration.

Human Resources will automatically update the Procedure to comply with any changes to legislation or ACAS guidance and notify employees of the amendments. Appendix 1.

.................. Department

Services Excluded from Flexi-time Working

Services Working Non-Standard Band Widths